The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate for April was 4.8 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 5.2 percent in March. The rate in April 2015 was 5.4 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers. 

The number of jobs increased by 21,500, or 0.8 percent, to 2,646,700 in April.  Most of the increase came in leisure and hospitality, 8,000; professional and business services, 7,300; trade, transportation and warehousing, 2,100; information services, 1,900; construction, 1,300; and manufacturing, 1,200.  

Over the year, Atlanta gained 83,300 jobs, a 3.3 percent growth rate, up from 2,563,400 in April 2015. Most of the job gains came in professional and business services, 20,900; trade, transportation and warehousing, 19,600; leisure and hospitality, 14,300; education and health services, construction, 7,100; manufacturing, 6,500; and government, 4,200. 

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 455, or 3.5 percent, to 12,580 in April. Most of the decrease came in construction and retail trade. And, over the year, claims were down by 1,623, or 11.4 percent, from 14,203 in April 2015. 

Also, Atlanta’s labor force decreased by 5,367 to 2,877,964.      

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.2 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.4 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was 5.5 percent, unchanged from March. It was 6.1 percent in April 2015. 

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said job seekers and employers should use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In April, 47,155 jobs in Atlanta were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 71,092 jobs were posted. 

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.